Sony Cyber-shot RX100 Boasts Fixed f/1.8 Lens, Big Sensor

Other major players have offered a big sensor/little camera combo, and up until now there was nothing in Sony’s Cyber-shot lineup to compete. The RX100 offers a 3.6x optical zoom lens with a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture and a 1.0-inch type CMOS sensor outfitted with 20.2 megapixels (13.2 x 8.8mm is its exact measurement). It will be capable of RAW image capture, and the RX100 will offer 1080 HD video.

A high-resolution 3.0-inch display with 1,229k dots of resolution is fixed to the camera’s back panel. In this, Sony introduces a new (and unfortunately named) “WhiteMagic” technology, with extra white dots providing some gains in screen brightness. A ring around the base of the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens provides an extra level of user input, providing a shortcut to exposure or zoom settings. The lens is built with seven aperture blades for smooth bokeh.

Sony’s optical SteadyShot image stabilization is present, and a native ISO range of 100-6400 is expandable up to 25600 in a multi-frame noise reduction mode. Burst mode clocks in at 10 fps for full-resolution images while a BIONZ processor keeps pace.

Pricing and AvailabilityIt comes as no surprise that this camera won’t be cheap. Sony’s RX100 will be made available in July for about $650.